Lost Art

Lately, I've been watching movies that are set in earlier time periods, generally around the turn of the nineteenth century. (And no, it was not Pride and Prejudice...it was Emma.) Anyways, I couldn't help but notice throughout the films that the characters chose their words carefully, almost as though they held some magical power. Before they spoke, they actually took a second to plan out their thoughts so they could convey them in the most concise way, while still making a valid and relative point. They seemed to coat their words with honey to make them easier to take as well as understand, and their conversations were almost riddles. People had to be very smart and tactful to converse. In addition, conversation seemed to be entertainment in itself, and they didn't need technology to provide an interesting break from monotonous days. In order to keep their audiences entertained, they had to be well versed on a variety of topics.

Even now, a few hours after finishing the movie, it all still seems so strange. Nowadays, people just throw their words around as if they were snowflakes in a blizzard, not caring about the impact they have on people. Rarely do people take the time to think before they speak, and that could very well be a cause of many a misunderstanding. I think that conversation has become a lost art. Through computers and cell phones and texting, people are looking for the fastest way to say something. Now, whether that requires abbreviation or cutting the more "flowery" words, it doesn't matter, but the end result is always the same: the bottom line. Nobody seems to have any time to sit down and chat over tea (maybe coffee is more American, but I'm still in an English mood). Why can't we go back to where people actually took pains not to hurt someone (no pun intended), and if they did by some chance, they hastened to remedy the situation? Perhaps in some ways we have revolutionized the world for the better, but I fear that in this twenty-first century, we have lost something very dear: the beauty and power of repartee (Vocab word!).